The post COMO The Halkin Hotel & Texture Restaurant, two long-time favorites in London appeared first on Swiss Traveler.
]]>London is one of our family’s favorite cities to visit and we did this three times in the past eight years and every time we stayed at COMO The Halkin and had dinner at Texture restaurant, which is not exactly next door but not too far away. This is quite unusual for us because we like to try out new hotels and restaurants, but these two places are so good that we keep returning. Actually, they have not that much in common apart from the exterior architecture and the modern interior, but that is not really the point. It is just that these two spots are the only constants when it comes to our family’s London travel adventures.
In my view, southwest London is one of the best choices for staying as a visitor. You are near to many attractions but away from the hustle and bustle of the West End. The Halkin’s location is especially favorable. It is set on a quiet street of handsome Georgian properties in the heart of residential Belgravia. Your are here five minutes away from the Hyde Park and from the Hyde Park Corner tube station. It is amazing how the scene changes when going from the tube’s exit to the hotel, from buzzing city center to quiet, residential surroundings! And imagine it is easy to walk past without even noticing it because it is such a discreet place, more to it in the next section. A funny detail, where The Halkin is now was once a car park!
When it comes to service, it is always present when needed but otherwise unobtrusive. Upon arrival, you are treated to a scented hot towel and are invited to a drink of your choice in the bar or your room, complete with some tasty nibbles, a nice touch. When we arrived at the Halkin, we were welcomed as returning guests. Everybody around including the concierge was informed that we are regulars. Also several times during our stay the hotel director, who was new to this position, asked after our wellbeing.
The fifth-floor Belgravia Suite we had is especially charming, it has a ship like feeling featuring a high, barrel-vaulted ceiling. There is a spacious lounge area and a huge bathroom and all comes with plenty of natural light.
A particularly nice asset is the rear garden, which can be accessed upon request. There is a small fitness room but no spa. However, you can use the one at the nearby sister hotel of COMO Metropolitan.
On site you also find a renowned Michelin starred restaurant named Ametsa with Arzak Instruction. It is an offshoot of the famous three stars restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian/Spain offering Basque cuisine. As we did not dine here, I cannot comment on this. However, we had breakfast included in our arrangement and this was always a feast for all the senses. There is no buffet, everything is served by kind and attentive staff. After some cereals, berries or whatever you can choose from an array of hot items, my favorite dish was broken eggs and Iberico ham, delicious! You could also help yourself from a basket with freshly baked bread and pastries. It is easily one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
Out of the main courses, a memorable dish was the organic Icelandic lamb. Here the tender saddle and the succulent shoulder were paired and made together with the mild calcot onions and the aromatic heritage carrots a tasty creation.
When it came to desserts, three out of four people of our table opted for the chef’s signature dessert, Icelandic skyr. And we were fully satisfied with it! We got skyr (similar to Greek yoghurt) as mousse and ice cream, flavored with vanilla and combined with rye bread crumbs and Wye Valley blueberries, an irresistible composition!
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]]>The post Review of Restaurant The Ledbury, London appeared first on Swiss Traveler.
]]>UPDATE: Michelin three stars as from February 2024
My husband and I together with our son and his girlfriend had been looking for a high-end restaurant in London to celebrate a special occasion. The Ledbury had been on top of our list and luckily enough we got the last table on a Sunday evening at 19:30 a bit more than two months prior to the date in question. I think we were quite fortunate because I had read that tables here are among the hardest in Britain’s capital to secure!
For those who are not familiar with the Ledbury, it is one of the top restaurants in the United Kingdom. The chef, Brett Graham, is an Australian and opened this eatery in 2005 in west London when he was only 25 years old. The Ledbury has been voted the UK’s best restaurant several times, it holds 2 Michelin stars and has been featured in San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants (now it is on position 27). In my humble opinion, the third star with Michelin is only a question of time.
The Ledbury is located at the edge of Notting Hill. What began as a neighborhood restaurant is now a destination restaurant. When we arrived at the Ledbury on a Sunday night, it was packed to the last seat. We got a very warm welcome and were lead to our table, which was one of the few not yet occupied. The dining spot is contemporary styled and mid-sized (55 seats). There is also a small outdoor area, which was not in use on our visit. Almost instantly I felt at ease, which is rare in such places. The ambiance was somehow laid-back although being in one of London’s most feted restaurants. As we had booked the restaurant for a special occasion, we found an anniversary card on the table, a nice touch!
When it comes to prices, this is of course not the place to make a bargain! However, I found the meal fairly priced given the elaborate cuisine, the immaculate service and last but not least the restaurant’s reputation. While there is only the tasting menu available on Friday to Sunday (6 courses £ 125, 8 courses £ 145), it is possible to put together a 4-course menu for £ 120 out of an array of dishes at your disposal the rest of the week. Also there are enough reasonably priced wines available, which is rare at such acclaimed restaurants. All in all, prices are okay for this level of quality.
This was the moment when bread was served together with goat butter. Freshly baked sourdough bread in slices were put on the table. It was fabulous and I had to be careful not to eat too much of it. This was a difficult thing to do because it was simply too good!
Date of visit: July 2017
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]]>The post Review of The Halkin Hotel, London appeared first on Swiss Traveler.
]]>The Halkin was for our family (two adults and a teen) the ideal hotel for a sightseeing trip to London. It is conveniently located (near Hyde Park and The Harrods) but in a quiet neighborhood (Belgravia), and the next tube station is not even five minutes away.
The hotel is rather small, but has a good Thai restaurant (1 Michelin star rated), a nice bar and also a fitness centre. We didn’t visit the latter, but we went to the restaurant
where we enjoyed very good, authentic food. We also had delicious breakfasts in the same place (no buffet but a menu with a broad selection).
Our room was a studio suite offering far enough space for the three of us. It was modernly furnished and had a very comfortable, not too soft bed, furthermore it was equipped with a (not too efficient) air-condition. Through the window you had a look at the garden of the adjacent apartment house. The bathroom wasn’t very spacious but had all the necessary items in it (separate shower).
All in all, the Halkin is a very good choice for a stay in London and breakfast there is hard to beat.
Date of stay: May 2009
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